Axess Introduces Smart Guard - Innovative Software To Combat Illegal Distribution Of Ski Tickets

Passing ski tickets between private individuals “under the table” is often seen as a minor offense – but for mountain railway companies, this “common practice” leads to significant economic losses year after year. With the introduction of its new SMART GUARD software, Axess now offers an easy-to-implement, 100% data protection-compliant solution that effectively curbs ticket fraud. A test run at the Italian ski resort of Le Melette has already delivered impressive results.

Ticket fraud has become a kind of "national sport" in many ski regions for two main reasons: a lack of awareness among skiers and the limited practical control options available to mountain railways. With the new Axess SMART GUARD software, ski resort operators now have a straightforward solution to permanently address the issue.

Simple Basic Principle: Automated Photo Comparison

At its core, SMART GUARD is a software solution developed by Axess that integrates seamlessly into existing Axess systems. The basic principle of SMART GUARD is straightforward: each time a person passes through the gate to access the cable car, a photo is taken and linked to their ski ticket. Axess SMART GUARD then compares these images with one another to determine whether there is sufficient similarity between them.

Data Protection Compliant – No Biometric Data!

Axess SMART GUARD does not collect or store any biometric data - which makes it much easier to use in terms of European data protection regulations. The system uses algorithms to analyze the appearance of the person in the photo based on purely optical characteristics; for example, colors, shapes, patterns and proportions. Thanks to AI support, Axess SMART GUARD is constantly learning and continuously optimizing itself.

Photos that are unusable and do not allow for a meaningful comparison - for example because there are too many people in them - are sorted out from the start. The ski resorts alone decide when the photos are deleted. The images are usually stored for as long as the respective ski pass is valid. In special cases, it makes sense to keep the photos for a longer period and this can be defined separately by the system, for example if ticket fraud is uncovered.

In the End, the Mountain Railway Employees Decide

One of the key advantages of Axess SMART GUARD is its ability to quickly identify the unlawful double use of tickets. To help cable car employees efficiently process the resulting data, SMART GUARD generates a sorted list showing how well the photos associated with each ski ticket match. The match is expressed as a "score": the closer the score is to 1, the higher the probability that the same person used the ticket each time. A score closer to zero indicates more discrepancies and a higher likelihood of ticket fraud. A quick glance at the lowest scores on the list reveals which skiers are most likely to be the "black sheep." Ultimately, it is up to the cable car company employees to decide whether and what measures to take against this fraud.

Successful Practical Test in Family Ski Area

Before its market launch, Axess SMART GUARD was extensively tested at the family ski resort of Le Melette in Italy. During the test phase in the 2023/2024 ski season, it was discovered that just over five percent of ski tickets sold were "privately" transferred—essentially ticket fraud. Axess SMART GUARD also revealed that season passes were particularly affected, with over 15 percent of them used without permission at least once.

“This system, which analyzes the images taken as guests pass through the gate, proved to be extremely efficient and delivered excellent results during the winter test,” explains Mario Timpano, a member of the board of directors at Le Melette. “The test confirmed the reliability and accuracy of this technology, which has significantly reduced the unauthorized transfer of ski passes. This not only has a positive impact on revenue but also ensures fairer and safer management of the ski area. The very satisfactory results of the winter test encourage us to continue down this path, with the aim of further expanding the use of this technology in the coming years," concludes Timpano.